Temptation
by marens
Summary: Complete. Vincent needs to find an old childhood friend who has become a vampire, but the vampire finds Catherine first. First published in a zine many years ago under the name Maren.


Catherine shivered in the damp of the tunnel so far below New York's streets. She had been wandering on her own down below for hours, despite the warnings she'd received. Vincent was distressed, she knew it, and he grew more distressed as time went by.

When he had not come for her himself or sent a guide when she had banged on the pipes, she had had to come down herself. The love they felt for each other drew them together when the other was in need, and she had tried to follow that feeling, as she had once before when Vincent had been trapped in a cave-in.

No one had come for her this time. There was no help for her at all...

xoxox 

"She needs me, Father. I can feel it." Vincent snapped out as he paced restlessly back and forth.

"You can't break the seals, Vincent," Father insisted, knowing by what slim thread Vincent obeyed him in this. "You've said yourself she doesn't seem to be in direct danger. She must wait."

"Wait until when? Until daylight? I can't go to her then, and tomorrow night it will be the same thing all over again."

"You must be patient, Vincent. Tomorrow we might find its lair. We can destroy the evil and be done with it, but you can't risk exposing all of us to that evil," Father said forcefully. "Rest now, you'll need your strength for the search tomorrow." He closed his eyes in relief when Vincent ceased his prowling and sat down resignedly.

"You are right. I know you are right, but she needs me." Vincent said quietly, his head thrown back on the chair.

"Is it possible she's picking up what you're feeling, and is distressed because she doesn't know what's wrong and can't get to you... Perhaps if you calmed yourself..."

Vincent sat up straight and looked levelly at Father. "That could very well be. I will try.

xoxox 

Catherine sighed in relief. It was as though Vincent was telling her that he wasn't in danger, that he didn't need her help. There was still a thread of distress, though, and why hadn't he come?

And, more to the point, how was she to get out of the tunnels? She sat down by the pipes to wait. Perhaps Vincent would come later--in any case, she was too tired to go on. Catherine fell into a doze quickly now that there was no urgent need to get to Vincent. It was long past her usual bed time, she had been wandering for hours, and even the cold stone couldn't deny her body the rest it craved.

The presence that had watched and waited until the woman had slipped into sleep smiled. Fortune had finally smiled on him. He had grown tired of being alone. He had been one of those below once, now his friends shut him out, considered him an evil that must be destroyed.

He advanced as quiet as thought toward the woman. Whispering to her, he entered her dreaming mind, his hypnotic voice shaping her dreams. He brushed the tips of his fingers across her neck, and she arched her neck to his touch, murmuring her pleasure as she dreamed of the one she loved touching her.

A thrill of excitement at her readiness shot through him as he swiftly positioned his mouth and partook of her blood. He restrained himself from taking too much. That had caused him trouble when he had been reborn, but his... protegee... would have him to teach her, guide her in the first confusion.

Wiping his mouth carefully, removing any trace of her blood, he touched the woman's shoulder, and spoke.

"Lady? Wake up, lady. Are you lost?"

Catherine smiled sleepily up at the earnest young face. "Oh, yes! I've been looking for Vincent."

Vincent! He had chosen well. "Are you Catherine, then?"

"Yes," she smiled. "What's your name?"

"John. You're a long way from anywhere, Catherine. You're tired, would you like to rest awhile before I take you up? I have a place not far from here."

"Yes. That sounds wonderful. I feel so dopey..."

"Come, then," he said, extending his hand to help her up. "I can offer you something to drink, if you're thirsty... maybe something hot to drive out the chill?"

"I would appreciate some tea or something."

"Well, come along then, and I'll fix you up," he said. Yes, he thought, smiling to himself. A little something in her drink and she'd sleep all day.

xoxox 

After a few hours sleep Vincent was ready to begin searching for the vampire's lair. How could something like that happen in their family! Even Father found it hard to believe in the supernatural. He had researched many areas of the occult that those above dismissed as legend, but even his doubts about voodoo had taken a setback after what had almost happened to Catherine.

Catherine. He was still a little worried about her. He would go to her apartment tonight even if it meant he was unable to return below. He turned his mind away from the temptation of staying in Catherine's apartment all night with her. It was becoming harder to stay away from her for days at a time, harder to leave her at all.

It did not seem possible that a love like theirs could continue to grow. He did not know how much longer either of them could continue before they could not avoid fulfilling the need that was growing daily in them.

She was so beautiful, but how could he take her away from that large, beautiful world of hers, full of light and color, even if it was a world of fear? He certainly could not come into her world. Could she live two lives? He did not think she would want to leave the position she was in now – it allowed her to help so many people.

And the differences between them–what would children of theirs be like? Would there be children? Any children of theirs could be raised here, but would Catherine want that?

"Enough." Vincent said forcefully. Enough of things that would probably never be. Time to get to the problem of–John.

Father acted like John had died, but he'd seen him. He may have changed, and done some things wrong, but he hadn't really hurt anyone. John was still the friend of his childhood, and Vincent didn't know if he could bring himself to do what Father insisted must be done.

"Vincent. Are you ready? The search parties are waiting for you, we have a lot of ground to cover before nightfall."

"Yes, Father." Vincent was silent for a moment, then, "Father–I'm going to see Catherine tonight. I'm still worried about her."

"We may not be able to let you back in, Vincent."

"I still don't believe John would hurt me."

"He's not John any more, Vincent. He's a vampire, and all his priorities will have changed. If he's hungry--he might not be able to avoid hurting you."

"If it doesn't feel right I'll stay with Catherine."

"Catherine." Father said, obviously holding back from repeating all his previously said warnings. They hadn't done any good--neither of them would listen. Perhaps love would conquer all, but he feared Vincent would end up badly hurt.

"I'm going to join the search parties. Is it necessary that we kill John? Is there no other way?"

"I'll research it, Vincent, but there is so little fact in the legends, and to seek out the grain of truth..."

"But there is always truth there. Please try, Father. John was a very good friend."

"I will, Vincent. I remember John, too."

xoxox 

Weary after a long day of searching the seemingly endless tunnels under the city, Vincent nonetheless made his way to Catherine's terrace. Dread grew in his heart, he felt he was getting further away from her, and that she needed him in some way. If Catherine had come searching for him–surely they would have found her in their search for John. If John hadn't found her first...

Vincent waited for hours before the approaching dawn drove him back to the tunnels, waiting impatiently in the upper levels until it was safe to go down below. He needed to talk to Father. Father always had something to say, some word of comfort, advice.

xoxox 

"Wake up, Catherine," John called softly. She was firmly under his control now after these three days and nights. He had been entertaining Catherine during their waking hours with tales of vampires, teaching her what she would need to know. She would not be as unprepared in her rebirth as he had been. She didn't even know what he had done to her. His heightened senses could already detect the changes in her, though, and their time together was coming to an end. That was just as well. There were signs that the searchers were getting close, and he would need to move. He had fooled himself into thinking he needed a companion–well, perhaps he still did, but she wasn't the one for him. Perhaps it was the instinct, as with any creature, to reproduce. In any case, he would leave Catherine for Vincent to find. She belonged to Vincent, anyway. Then Vincent would understand–it had hurt him badly to see signs that Vincent had been searching for him so that he could destroy him, his friend.

"I'm so tired, John,' Catherine said listlessly.

"I know, Catherine, but it will pass. I've got to move one, Catherine, but Vincent will come and get you in a few hours."

"Vincent," Catherine smiled languidly. "I've missed him so."

"Just wait here, he'll find you," John reassured. "Good-bye Catherine. You probably won't see me again." I hope not, anyway, he thought as he slipped away, leaving Catherine engrossed in one of his books.

xoxox

"Vincent. This way--there's a light," said Jaime. The searchers gathered around Jaime, parting to make way for Vincent as he came up the corridor.

Vincent made his way cautiously into the side tunnel, past the false wall that had blocked the entrance. If what Father had taught him was true there was no need to go so quietly during the day, but instinct had its own reasoning.

"There's someone on a bed. I'm going in to look." Vincent walked into the room and pulled the cover back from the figure in the bed.

"Catherine!"

"Vincent!" she said, smiling sleepily and holding her arms up to him. "John said you would come today."

"What are you doing here, Catherine? Where's John?" he queried anxiously, looking at the others as they came into the room and motioning them back.

"John said he had to go. Can I have some more tea?"

Vincent was growing more anxious by the moment--Catherine was acting so very oddly.

"Where is the tea, Catherine?" he asked softly. He left her for a moment to follow her languid gesture to where the tea was kept. Lifting it to his nose, he smelled it. As he suspected, it had been drugged. "None just now, Catherine. Let's get you back to Father first." Picking her up in his arms carried her out.

Vincent strode through the tunnels, a tail of concerned friends following after, barely able to keep him in sight. He looked down at Catherine as she reached up to stroke his chin. She was content to caress his face for a time, then started playing with his lips, running her thumb back and forth over them, growing steadily bolder until he pulled his head away.

"Vincent," she said petulantly, pouting her lips as she looked reproachfully at him.

He lowered his head to whisper to her, "Not now, and not here," and increased his pace yet again. Catherine seemed content, resting her head back on his chest and coaxing her hand into his shirt. Vincent rested his cheek on her hair for a moment, then lifted his head to look for Father as he entered their rooms.

"Father?" Not seeing him anywhere, "Jaime, go get Father--and they'd better keep looking for John. I don't think they'll find him. though. Catherine said he was leaving."

He strode to his bed when he was through speaking and tried to put Catherine down, but she clung to him, drawing him down with her. Vincent gave in for the moment, simply enjoying the feeling of her hands caressing his back, knowing that it would end soon and wishing she was in her right mind. She was nuzzling at his neck when he heard Father coming.

By the time Father had come in, Vincent was sitting demurely at Catherine's side, holding her hand.

"Vincent." Father said by way of greeting. "What's wrong with Catherine?"

"She appears to have been drugged. She's not acting at all normally."

"Indeed," Father replied as he came over to the bed. After a brief examination, "She has indeed been drugged, at the very least. Catherine, have you eaten recently?"

"Hmm?"

"Catherine," Father said firmly. "When did you eat last?"

"Oh, when I left home," she said sleepily.

"When was that?"

"Yesterday? I don't know. Vincent was upset. I tried to find him, but I got lost. John found me though." Catherine smiled sleepily up at them, unaware of the horror in their faces at her revelation. John had gone off his food, too.

"John." Father turned Catherine's head to either side as he examined her throat. "My god. Look at that, Vincent," he said, pointing out the neat puncture wounds.

As Vincent leaned over to look at Catherine's neck, she reached up and tried to pull him to her again. Father quickly reached over and pulled Vincent back. "Don't let her get too close to your throat."

"You don't mean... Catherine..."

"She's been bitten, and more than once. We can't risk it."

"I won't let you kill her," Vincent said firmly.

Father looked down. He hadn't really expected anything else. "At the very least, she must be restrained."

Vincent reluctantly agreed. "You will continue to search for a cure."

Father looked down at Catherine. He reached down to push her hair hack from her forehead. Catherine didn't seem aware that they were talking about her. She merely rested quietly, her hand holding onto Vincent's tightly.

"Yes, Vincent."

xoxox 

Father continued his research, desperately seeking clues in all his books and those that their helpers above could find for them. He was worried, too, at the way Catherine seemed to be drawing, tempting, Vincent.

xoxox

Vincent continued to search for John, looking harder for him now that he had so many questions to ask. He tried to coax Catherine to eat, but she wouldn't eat anything.

She seemed to be wasting away in front of him and clung desperately at him when he was with her, but he couldn't give her what she wanted.

Once he had been severely tempted, driven by her needs that he felt inside him as his own, and had loosened her restraints to let her have her way with him. He wasn't very sure he was grateful to Father for interrupting them.

xoxox

Their shared desperation was driving him into carelessness. Several times now he had been nearly caught topside, looking for something to help Catherine. Father remonstrated, but he could not reach that pit of despair in Vincent caused by seeing Catherine dying before his very eyes.

This time, Vincent had gone above tracing another lead, and had not returned when he should have. Father tried to read, looking for the answers to their problem in his books, but with only marginal success at concentration. He had a feeling that he was close. There were some references to true love or a selfless love in some of the novels written on the subject.

He would look up occasionally to watch worriedly as Catherine struggled with her restraints. He was dreadfully afraid that something had happened to Vincent, who had been gone for hours now. Catherine's behavior reminded him of all the times he had watched Vincent fret when he felt Catherine in need and could not get to her.

xoxox

Vincent had been returning to the entrance into the tunnels when he had stepped on rotten flooring that could not take his weight. He fell through and could not free himself, hampered as he was by a twisted ankle. Vincent feared that he would never find his way back to their underground city, to die here or found by others and... And with him gone, Father might kill Catherine. The thought pulled at his heart, he'd rather have Catherine a vampire than gone from the world forever.

xoxox

"Vincent!" Catherine cried, struggling against the restraints. "Let me go! Vincent needs me, "

Father tried to ignore Catherine's cries, which had been growing in intensity, they fed his own worries until he could hardly bear it. He felt that he had been succeeding fairly well, until suddenly it occurred to him that Catherine had been quiet---too quiet. He turned quickly and looked at the bed. Gone. Somehow in her desperation she had managed to slip her bonds and go after Vincent.

Father called for help, gathering a group to give chase to Catherine as he could not.

She must not be allowed to escape! Even if it were not for Vincent, another vampire could not be tolerated loose in their sanctuary.

xoxox

Catherine fled through the tunnels, adrenalin coursing through her veins, feeling more awake and aware than she had for a long time. Vincent was hurt. He needed help. The feeling filled her whole world. She hesitated at an intersection, Vincent was--that way.

She could hear the sounds of pursuit closing behind her, but gave it little thought in her headlong rush to get to Vincent. There. She had found the exit and rushed to Vincent's side, falling to her knees just as the rising sun reached through the boarded-up window. Vincent watched fearfully, remembering what he had been taught about vampires, as the rising sun reached through the broken window and gilded Catherine's hair, seemingly setting her on fire with its radiance... 


End file.
